1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to wireless communications, and more particularly, to providing digital rights management for content downloaded to wireless communication devices.
2. Description of Related Art
More people than ever are using mobile stations, such as cell phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), to connect to wireless networks, which are also referred to as wireless wide area networks (WWANs), cellular communication systems, radio access networks (RANs), wireless access networks, and by other names. Wireless carriers typically operate these networks to provide both voice and data services using a wireless communication format such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Evolution Data Optimized (EV-DO), or another format.
Among the data services in which a mobile station may engage is the downloading and playing of multimedia content, such as video and/or audio. As examples, a mobile station may download and play a ringtone or a song. As further examples, a mobile station may download and play a video clip, perhaps involving sports highlights, a snippet of a movie, or perhaps even an entire movie or episode of a television show. Mobile stations having these capabilities may be referred to herein as mobile video players (MVPs) though, as stated, these MVPs can play more than just video. Often this content will be copyrighted, in which case it is important for wireless carriers and other entities to ensure that copyrights and any other applicable rights are respected. In general, this concern is referred to as digital rights management (DRM).
In addition to mobile stations, another type of device that has recently grown in popularity is a known as a digital video recorder (DVR). A DVR is a device that typically connects to both a media input—such as a cable line or satellite dish—and also to a viewing-device output such as a television. DVRs typically include an interface for a remote control, as well as some type of data storage, such as a hard disk. A typical DVR will continuously record an approximately 30-minute-long cache of whatever a user is currently watching, so that the user can rewind and pause live television, among other VCR-like functions. DVRs also are typically able to be programmed to record television shows and movies for later playback, based on program-guide information that is downloaded and stored by the DVR.
To enable downloading and storing of program-guide and other information, as well as other communication, DVRs are often network-connected, having an IP address, perhaps on the global Internet, or perhaps on a user's private IP network, behind a publicly-addressed device such as a cable modem or Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) modem. For example, a DVR may have a WiFi (IEEE 802.11) connection with a wireless access point, which in turn is connected to a cable modem. In other examples, a DVR may engage in IP communication using the same communication path over which the DVR receives the underlying television signal. This path could involve a hybrid fiber/coaxial network, or perhaps a satellite dish and a satellite.
Furthermore, a user may have more than one DVR set up in his or her home or office, where each DVR has its own IP address, which again could be on the global Internet or on the user's private IP network. Each DVR may have different pieces of content—such as different television shows, movies, songs, etc. —stored thereon, and, in some examples, certain pieces of content may be distributed across the multiple DVRs. And other arrangements are possible.